Pilots Dread La Guardia Runway 13

Many airline pilots do not look forward to taking off from La Guardia Airport`s Runway 13, the same strip used by ill-fated USAir Flight 405.

At 7,000 feet, the runway is relatively short. The longest runway at Miami International Airport is 13,002 feet, nearly twice the length.

The main runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is 9,000 feet long. At Palm Beach International, the main runway is nearly 8,000 feet.

At the end of La Guardia`s Runway 13 is a rising concrete seawall embankment, then Flushing Bay on the north side of Queens. As a result, pilots say aborting takeoffs in the event of an emergency can be tricky business at La Guardia. In the case of Flight 405, it was disastrous.

The Fokker F-28 4000 twin-engine jet lifted off, then slammed back to the ground, veering to the left. It hit a snow-covered barricade, exploded and spilled into the water. At least 27 of the 51 on board were killed.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires that a runway be long enough so a plane can reach its liftoff speed, then come to a halt before running out of asphalt.

But pilots say that with a fully loaded plane and slippery conditions because of rain or ice, that rule is tough to meet on Runway 13.

And it is particularly hard for the F-28, a Dutch-made commuter jet that is not known for its power. Pilots of the F-28 and other small jets, such as the DC-9, say they frequently use all of the power available for takeoff at La Guardia.

``A major factor is you don`t have an overrun area into a cornfield like you have at airports in the Midwest. You overrun, you`re in the water,`` said a Delta Air Lines pilot who asked not to be identified.

The New York Port Authority, which operates La Guardia, said the airport`s runways are safe and that the embankment is needed to prevent airplanes from overrunning into the bay.

John Hughes, authority spokesman, said a longer runway would not have helped Flight 405 because the accident occurred after takeoff.

``La Guardia is well within its bounds for the aircraft that use it,`` he said. He said the airport is restricted to smaller jets.